Salina man sentenced for kidnapping wife

Syracuse, NY - A town of Salina man was sentenced today to five years' in prison for holding his wife hostage in their home for a week in November.

Steven C. Haynes, 26, of 1704 Le Moyne Ave. had nothing to say in court before County Judge Anthony Aloi imposed the sentence agreed to when Haynes pleaded guilty last month to a felony count of second-degree kidnapping.

Assistant District Attorney Geoffrey Ciereck read in court a brief letter from the victim, whose name was not mentioned, in which she described her ordeal as "horrifying" and noted that she had been subjected to verbal, emotional, physical and sexual abuse in the two months after she and Haynes got married last September.

The victim wrote that Haynes was a "very dangerous man" hiding behind a smile.

Although the victim was not present in court, Aloi commended her for her courage in writing to the court about the incident. The judge said it was important to "put a face on the problem of domestic violence."

Aloi said violence within personal relationships could not be tolerated. While he said he had no authority to grant a divorce to the couple, Aloi noted he welcomed defense lawyer Marcus Stornelli's comment that Haynes and the victim were terminating their relationship.

Ciereck said Haynes kept his wife locked up in a room in their home from Nov. 23 through Nov. 30. The victim managed to get away when Haynes decided to take her to church and the pastor noticed her bruises, the prosecutor said.